Four men impersonating garda∅ stole an estimated £50,000 from a Dublin city-centre business yesterday.
The men, two dressed in plainclothes and two in uniform, told staff from the Egan Pub Group that they were from the Criminal Assets Bureau. They produced what they said was a warrant and asked for documents and takings from the company's four licensed outlets.
Staff had been counting takings from the businesses, which include Lillie's Bordello and Judge Roy Beans, at offices in Harry Street off Grafton Street.
As they left, one of the men left a card with the address of the Criminal Assets Bureau at the Dublin Metropolitan Region headquarters in Harcourt Square. They told staff they could collect the cash and accounts from the offices in Harcourt Square.
A short time later when the staff contacted Harcourt Square they realised a robbery had taken place. The Garda Press Office said last night that an undisclosed sum of money was taken and that it was possible that a fifth man was involved in the robbery. The exact amount of cash was not known but it was thought to be in the region of £50,000 and it is believed the thieves may also have missed another large amount of cash.